


Acceptance

by IckleMissMayhem



Category: Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: Post-Game
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-31
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 11:10:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7047085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IckleMissMayhem/pseuds/IckleMissMayhem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'...Reality isn't so kind. Everything doesn't work out the way you want it to. That's why...'<br/>"As long as you don't get your hopes up, you can take anything...You feel less pain."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"...I get left behind. I try to catch up, but it's no use..."<br/>"How far is everyone going? I can't hear anyone..."<br/>"Once I catch up, I wonder...Is everyone safe? Will they welcome me with open arms?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Just how far would she go, and how much will be put at stake to find true acceptance and to reach her goals?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tempus es iocundum

Squall awoke to the sound of someone knocking softly on his door. He groaned as he looked over at his alarm clock. At this time on a Sunday morning, the only person knocking on his door would be Selphie, and no way was he awake enough yet to have her bouncing around him. With that in mind, he didn't get up, he could always catch her later, or, most likely, she'd corner him somehow.

He smiled briefly as he watched Rinoa sleeping peacefully at his side. She looked more like an angel than ever when she was asleep, giving no hint of the powers she had… well, those that she'd inherited from Edea, the previous sorceress anyhow. The power she had over Squall could be plainly seen whenever they were together, (as Irvine took great pleasure in pointing out) even in sleep, when he'd hold her lovingly in his arms, her head resting on his chest, keeping her safe, although he knew nowadays, he'd have a hard time protecting her from anything she couldn't take care of herself.

Since Ultimecia's defeat about nine months ago, everyday life in Balamb Garden had changed dramatically. For a start, it was much, much busier, since it was now the only SeeD training academy. Trabia Garden had proved to be too difficult to re-build after the missile attack, and there was barely any of the staff to run the place. The decision had been made to close down Galbadia Garden, as it was felt by senior personnel that it would be easier if all SeeDs and cadets were based on one site, but many felt the main reason for the amalgamation of the academies had been the now-famous 'Battle Of The Gardens'. The changes had meant the major re-organisation of Balamb Garden – the entire island of Balamb was virtually unrecognisable, as so many new buildings had been added the Academy had pretty much taken over the entire area once known as Alcaud Plains, in fact, the Fire Cavern, a well-known area on the island was now just one part of the base's vast Training Centre. In order to cater for the huge numbers of people now living on-site, a new cafeteria, library, garage and walk-in Treatment/Medical Centre had been built, and the new dorms occupied three whole buildings. In addition, the SeeD base was building it's own private harbour on the Rinauld coastline, as well as a launch pad and hangar for the new fleet of Ragnarok-style craft SeeD was planning to use as the primary method of transportation.

Maybe the biggest changes had been in the people living in the garden. Squall was well aware of how much he'd changed in the past year, 'And it's all your fault (!)' he thought, looking at Rinoa's still-sleeping form. Although he wasn't the only one to have been changed by the events of the past year or so.

Irvine had settled down a lot, due mostly, it had to be said, to Selphie. He hadn't really had much choice, at least as far as his womanising habits were concerned, because Selphie "wasn't up for that" as Irvine himself put it. In fact, she'd blown her top once when she caught him 'staring' at another attractive SeeD, and he'd been sporting the bruises from Selphie's Strange Vision for weeks. They were now a 'couple', and very happy to be so.

Quistis had regained her instructor's license, so was kept very busy, spending most of her free time in the training centre, or coming up with new lesson plans. She had been away for the past few days, examining cadets in the last batch of SeeD field exams.

Selphie had been busy, keeping Irvine wrapped tightly round her little finger, carrying out normal peacekeeping missions as a SeeD (much to Irvine's annoyance – he'd much rather preferred if she'd applied for an Instructorship, like Quistis, and as Rinoa was planning to, as soon as she became a qualified SeeD, but, as usual, 'Sefie' as he called her pretty much all his life, (especially when he wanted his own way!) had got her own way. She'd also been busy, pestering all the new Balamb residents about the upcoming Garden Festival, which she was CERTAIN would happen this year. Her plans were all finished, now all she needed was a group of people to help her make it happen. All the six had offered to help, even if it was just so they could get a moments peace.

Squall chuckled softly, as he remembered Selphie's indignation at Irvine's suggestion to become an instructor. She couldn't believe that he wouldn't like her going on missions without him, because he'd worry about her until the moment she'd return safely.

Squall understood what he meant, he'd be exactly the same if Rinoa became a SeeD and wanted to become part of the mission squad. Even when they were fighting together in the training centre, he'd keep checking she was all right frequently, although he'd never admit it. Mainly because he wouldn't want Rinoa to challenge him to a duel, so she could prove her capabilities once and for all, as Selphie had… She'd pretty much destroyed Irvine's favourite rifle, 'well, it had been his favourite rifle, anyway!'

Rinoa opened her eyes at the sound of his laughter.

"Good morning" he said, smiling down at her. She rolled over, trying to hide under the duvet. Rinoa definitely WASN'T a morning person, in any sense of the word.

"Ugh. What time is it?" she asked sleepily, cuddling into Squall's arms for a hug. She let out a yell, startling Angelo, who slept at the foot of the bed, as always, as she caught sight of the alarm clock on the bedside table.

"Oh HYNE! I said I'd meet Edea in the Cafeteria in five minutes!" she cried, extricating herself from Squall's embrace, much to his annoyance. She dashed into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and then, coming back into the bedroom, grabbed the first clothes that came to hand after opening the wardrobe doors. She smiled and blew a kiss at Squall as she disappeared back into the bathroom and shut the door. Sighing, Squall swung his legs so his feet rested on the floor, then stood up, stretching. He Walked into the kitchen, as he did so, he heard the shower being turned off.

"I've put the kettle on… do you want anything?" he called. No answer. "RINOA!" louder this time.

The bathroom door opened.

"Yes?" she asked, pulling on the detachable sleeves of her powder blue cardigan. Then, in response to his question, she replied "Oh, erm, no thanks, I'll grab something in the cafeteria with Edea… speaking of which" she replied, smiling, "I'm late enough as it is! Gotta dash! 'Bye Squall!" and after a quick kiss on the cheek, she was gone, leaving Squall to get ready to meet Zell for a training session later that day.

Rinoa flew down the corridor, her cardigan flying out behind her, as she ran down the corridors into the elevator. She pushed the button for the ground floor, and leaned against the railing, catching her breath. 'Hope she's not been waiting long' she thought, 'I wish I knew a good transport spell… Wonder if Edea knows any?'

She'd been spending quite a lot of time with the elder woman since she'd helped to defeat Ultimecia. As an ex-sorceress, Rinoa thought, quite correctly, she'd be able to help the younger woman learn to use and get used to her powers. 'After all,' she reasoned, 'they were once her powers!'

Upon exiting the lift, she spotted a familiar dark-haired figure.

"EDEA!" she yelled, causing several people in the main area of garden to flinch. The elder woman, who was standing talking to Selphie turned, smiled as she caught sight of Rinoa, and waved her over.

It came as no surprise to Rinoa to find, as she drew closer to the others that they had been talking about the upcoming festival and how the preparations were proceeding. Over the past month or so, ever since she had received permission to hold it, she had done nothing but think of her plans, indeed, as Irvine put it, "she eats, sleeps, she even breathes that damn festival! It's the first thing she thinks of it first thing in the morning, and it's her last thought at night…believe me, I KNOW!"

'Hey Rinoa' Selphie greeted her friend as she joined the group. "You're up early, I knocked for you and Squall earlier, but no-one answered. Hope I wasn't interrupting anything…" she finished, grinning. Out of all of them, on first glance, Selphie appeared to be the one least affected by the events of the past year. She was still the bubbly, capricious young woman she had been from childhood, although she was a little bit more mature nowadays, but only when she had to be. That was one of the main reasons why she'd managed to coerce so many people to help with the festival; she was so friendly to just about anyone, people felt bad if they said 'no' to her.

Still smiling, she bid the others goodbye, after arranging to travel to the orphanage later that week with Quistis and Zell, saying she had to 'go find that pesky cowboy o'mine'

Edea and Rinoa greeted each other warmly.

"Shall we?" the ex-sorceress asked, gesturing towards the cafeteria. Rinoa assented, and they walked off together.


	2. Youth Vs. Experience

Edea smiled at the younger woman sat across from her at one of the cafeteria's many tables. Rinoa always became more animated whenever she talked about becoming a SeeD; she was looking forward to her field exam, due to take place later that month.

She'd really been working hard, and, according to Quistis (who'd been giving her extra help with junctioning and summoning Guardian Forces, which Rinoa didn't use as much as she could, she preferred to use her own impressive powers in battle) and her other instructors, it really showed. She was by far the most promising SeeD candidate in her year, although that was to be expected of one who had helped to defeat the sorceresses Adel, and Ultimecia… 'And released her hold over me' Edea thought.

She shook her head suddenly, forcing her attention back to the girl, who was now looking at her questioningly.

"So how are things at the orphanage?" she repeated, guessing correctly that her mentor hadn't been paying her much attention for the past few minutes. Edea coloured slightly, knowing she'd been caught out.

"It's going well" she replied, "Especially since Cid gave the go-ahead for the extra funding from Garden. Mind you, he never was able to resist giving me anything I asked for. Would you believe that's how the ideas for Garden and SeeD were born?"

Edea had decided to re-open the orphanage where Squall, Ellone, Seifer, Quistis, Zell, Irvine and Selphie had spent most of their childhoods. It was to become a shelter for children orphaned in Esthar, during the Lunar Cry, and any other unfortunates, including children in Trabia, who were felt to be too young to begin formal SeeD training. The plan was that these children would eventually enter the academy, when they were old enough, and Edea was looking forward to opening her house up again. She'd missed the company of little children, also, she preferred nowadays to keep out of the public limelight; not something that was easy to do, given her husband's prominent position as the head of a major international organisation.

"So how is everybody these days?" she asked, although she'd only been away for little over a week. She may have had plenty of work to do at the orphanage in Centra, but she returned frequently to Balamb, as she jokingly put it herself 'I have to keep tabs on what trouble my ne'er-do-well husband is leading my children into!' The truth was, in fact, that they all occupied a place in the ex-sorceresses heart, and she grieved over the pain and trouble she'd caused them during her time as Ultimecia's puppet.

"Anyway, how are Squall and the others?" she asked "I know ALL about Selphie's plans for the festival, she sounds quite excited about it." Rinoa groaned and covered her eyes.

"She's driving everyone crazy with it! Especially since Cid gave her a date for it to be held. Bet she'll be there when the new people arrive later tonight, getting them to sign up before they've even set foot in their dorms!" She laughed.

"Squall's well… he's Squall" She finished. Edea smiled. She'd known Squall since he was a six year old, although he'd changed quite a bit since then, especially over the past year, especially since he met Rinoa, more to the point.

"He's a lot happier now he's gone back to normal SeeD duties… I don't think he ever enjoyed being in charge," she continued, knowing just how much of an understatement that was. Squall had always resented being in charge. It wasn't that he hated the responsibility, or that he wasn't competent enough to handle running Garden, 'Hyne knows he did a great job of that in the past' she thought. However, he'd been more than willing… no, in fact, as soon as Cid returned to Garden after Ultimecia's defeat, Squall had formally handed back power to the Headmaster. He'd justified his decision, saying he didn't think he had the experience to run Garden long-term, but most knew his real reason: he preferred it when he wasn't in the limelight continually; he really hated the attention, and feeling as if he had to ensure the safety and security of so many. He'd had point-blank refused to continue in his then-present role for a second more than necessary, but luckily, Cid had been willing to resume his previous role, now that things were pretty much back to normal.

"How are your SeeD classes going? Didn't you say Quistis was helping you with some things?" enquired Edea. Although Rinoa wasn't one of her 'children', Edea felt a strong bond with the young sorceress, and more than a little guilt. She knew exactly how many problems being a sorceress could entail.

"It's going really well; not as hard as I thought it would be, to be honest" Rinoa replied, smiling. "Quisty was helping me with some stuff to do with GFs, although, once I qualify, hopefully I won't have to use them, except as a last resort. I prefer fighting with magic… what's the point of having powers, if you don't use them to the best of your ability?"

Edea smiled at her naïveté.

"You should know the reasons for junctioning GFs by now Rin", she counselled. "You know how much they can aid your powers if you use them correctly, and anyway, you'll definitely need to prove you can summon them in your exams"

"Quisty told me the same things" Rinoa replied, laughing. Turning serious for a moment, she continued, "I think it's just… I'm scared of losing something... well, my memories for one thing. I don't want to be like the others, I pity them, not being able to recall their childhood instantly. Also…" She trailed off, looking downcast.

"Rinoa, your powers make you a strong candidate for SeeD, but they aren't the be-all and end-all. Do you honestly believe that you, Squall, and the others would have succeeded in defeating Ultimecia if you'd only used weapons, or only used magic? Just remember that. To become a stronger fighter, you need to master more than one skill, although it may prove difficult, or even pointless at times. I'm not saying always rely upon the Guardians, just be aware they are there, consenting to help you when you need their assistance."

"Edea… when you first received your powers… did you have any, umm, problems socially?" asked Rinoa. The elder woman turned to look her in the eyes, knowing something was not right in the sorceress' world.

"One last piece of advice, before I have to go Rinoa. I think I know what you mean, and yes, sometimes people are a little wary of sorceresses… who can blame them really, after Adel, and I myself, I suppose. What you should do is try and prove to those who doubt your character that you are, and will always, I hope, only using your powers for the greater good." Rinoa nodded her thanks, as the ex-sorceress stood to leave. The two women headed through the open swing doors of the cafeteria, back towards the main hallway of Garden.

They parted company in the elevator, Rinoa leaving Edea to carry on up to see her husband in his office before she left for Centra.

"Thanks Edea. I'll try and come with Selphie and Quisty to see the orphanage and what you've done with it tomorrow, although I do have to go see Cid about something earlier. Hopefully it won't take too long to wrap up." No one seemed to have noticed, but secretly, Rinoa was worried. Not many cadets were summoned to see the head of Garden, although she knew, deep down that it couldn't possibly be anything too serious, or Cid wouldn't have waited this long to talk to her about it.

Squall turned to face his companions, straightening out of his battle stance, and sheathing his gunblade as the unconscious form of the T-Rexaur crashed to the ground. Zell was already bouncing on the balls of his feet, scanning the area of the vast training centre, looking for another monster to fight.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm done for today" stated Irving, brushing dust and pieces of grass off his long overcoat. "Seifer's done a good job of collecting monsters, hasn't he? I haven't fought a Snow Lion since… well, I can't remember when!"

The other two SeeDs agreed with him on both counts. Seifer, Fujin and Raijin had been offered the chance to re-join Garden, although, after a few weeks, it had become obvious that it would be difficult for people to forget the trouble they'd caused in the period preceding Ultimecia's defeat. Cid had offered Seifer and Raijin the chance to take control of the acquisition of monsters for the training centre, positions they were glad to accept, and they now spent their days travelling all over the world, fighting and capturing monsters to bring back to Balamb. Fujin had remained at Balamb, and was given the task of helping to recruit new cadets in one of the many offices in Garden.

Squall didn't feel in the least bit tired, he could have remained in the Training Centre for a while longer, but Rinoa and Selphie had warned their boyfriends that if they weren't on time to meet Quistis at Balamb station later that afternoon… well, truthfully, they hadn't warned them to be there, it was as if they had no choice in the matter whatsoever!

"So what time is she arriving anyway?" asked Irvine. "Selphie didn't tell me anything other than I had to meet her by the entrance to the garage. How she expected me to know WHEN is beyond me!"

The others laughed.

"So, Squall, how're things with you and Rin?" asked Zell. Squall dodged the question (he may have opened up a lot in the past year, but he was still Squall!

"Say Irvine" he said lightly, knowing full well how his blonde friend was going to react to what he was going to say next. "Don't you think Zell here was a bit too eager to get off the subject of a certain instructor and her return to Garden?"

Irvine and Squall both burst out laughing as Zell opened his mouth to reply, then shut it, realising he had no comeback for that particular accusation. All three stepped onto one of the newly installed powered walkways that now criss-crossed Garden.

"Seriously though Zell, do you really like her, y'know that way?" asked Irvine, not wanting to drop the subject, despite Zell's obvious discomfort. "'Cause if you do, I reckon you should go for it… after all, what's the worst that could happen?"

"S'easy for you to say cowboy!" Zell replied jokingly. "You're taller than her!" He paused, thinking, then carried on: "I do really like her that way as you put it; it's just that… I don't know…" he sighed, looking completely downcast. Squall came to his rescue.

"Well, if Quistis is anything like Selphie, I'd be careful! She sure can do a lot of damage with that hynedamned whip of hers!"

All three SeeDs laughed as they stepped off the walkway at the entrance to the dorms, and parted company, each heading for a shower before meeting the others later.


	3. Life Goes On

Quistis rolled on to her back, opening her eyes, and smiled as the familiar off-white ceiling of her bedroom came into focus. It wasn't as if she hadn't enjoyed the last few days, examining SeeD candidates, and, Grandidi Forest WAS a beautiful place, but it was definitely nice to be back at Garden, sleeping in a proper bed, and not having to worry about any monster sneaking up on her or the others as they slept. She also had the added satisfaction of seeing all the students she'd taught that term pass the exam, which looked good. Some of the more experienced instructors weren't too impressed that she'd been reinstated, so Quistis felt she had an awful lot to prove these days.

She got up, walked into the bathroom, and turned on the shower, letting the hot water wash away all the aches she'd picked up from sleeping rough for 4 nights. She winced as she dried herself off quickly, noting a purplish bruise on her hip that she didn't know she'd had. She couldn't remember any particular incident she could have got it from, but that was certainly nothing out of the ordinary, she was always getting bruises, grazes, and various other minor injuries not worth a plaster, let alone a trip to the medical centre.

She always tried to get into the cafeteria early in the morning for breakfast; it made it less likely that she'd be accosted by a Trepie, or anyone else for that matter. Quistis didn't much like mornings, and needed at least one cup of coffee before she 'woke up' as she put it. Her worst nightmare would be to share a dorm with Selphie, even though she loved the cheerful little SeeD like a sister, which, she kind of was to Quistis, she couldn't stand to be around someone who was that cheerful in the mornings… not without wanting to feed them to a Malboro anyhow!

Leaving the cafeteria, she spotted a familiar dark-haired figure, and waved. Rinoa acknowledged, and stopped, waiting for Quistis to catch up.

"Hey Quis!" she greeted her 'personal tutor' as she jokingly referred to the elder girl, "What on Hyne's earth are you doing up so early?"

"It's not by choice, I can tell you that much!" Quistis responded. "Anyway, where are you off to?"

"Cid's office… he wanted to see me about something at nin… oh! In five minutes actually", she said, obviously flustered a little. "Look, I'll catch up with you later, I've really gotta get moving, else I'll be late!" and with that, the blue-clad figure was off, running towards the elevators, located in the centre of the circular main hall.

Quistis shrugged, unconcerned, and headed towards her classroom, to prepare for the morning lessons.  
After pushing the 3rd floor button on the elevator's control panel, Rinoa smoothed down her hair and clothes, in order to look presentable for the Head and Commander of the SeeD force. Even though she felt completely at ease with Cid, she still wanted to make a good impression, after all, he did have the final say in who passed or failed their SeeD exams, and, if she was honest with herself, Rinoa was just a little bit nervous about having to go see him, alone. Usually they were all called to see him, it was quite unusual for him to ask to see any student individually. In fact, Squall had joked about it this morning, wanting to know why she was getting 'special attention' as he put it. She knew it couldn't be anything too bad, firstly, because she hadn't done anything, to her knowledge that would earn her any sort of reprimand, let alone a summons to the 3F office. And she was pretty certain that she'd have known if she had. Anyway, Cid rarely got involved with disciplinary matters, unless they were the kind that would get you kicked out of Garden instantly.

She smiled at Xu, sat at her desk in the office-come-waiting room outside Cid's office.

"Hi Rinoa!" She said warmly, ushering the obviously nervous cadet across the room, towards the gilt-decorated double doors. "Cid's inside, waiting for you. Don't worry, you're right on time" she reassured the dark-haired girl. "You're not late or anything! Just the first person on his list of appointments for today!" with that, she knocked on the doors, then opened one, gesturing Rinoa to pass through into the office.  
Later that day, as the mid-morning sun shone down through the glass roof of the main hall, two figures walked from the training centre towards the cafeteria, talking animatedly.

 

 

"But Ze-ell" Selphie protested, pointing at her watch for added emphasis, "It's way too early for lunch!" She was right; it was barely half-past eleven.

"Well then Sef, that just means we'll be first in line when they open, and we'll get the pick of everything on offer!" her companion answered, as if the matter was easily decided. Still protesting half heartedly, Selphie let herself be half-dragged towards the cafeteria. It wasn't as if she had much choice in the matter, as although Zell wasn't the biggest of guys at Garden, he was strong, much stronger than she was, anyhow.

"Y'know Zell," she said, as they sat down at a table, an idea forming in her mind, "If you carry on eating millions of hot dogs everyday, you'll never get together wi…" She stopped, laughing out loud at the sight of her friend's indignant face, a hotdog in his mouth.

Zell swallowed, took a gulp from the glass of Coke that he'd bought, stalling, while he tried desperately to think of a good comeback. It was no use, so he just muttered something inaudible darkly.

"What was that?" Selphie asked, a hint of a smile still playing over her lips.

"I said," he answered, glowering, "that I'm going to murder that hynedamned cowboy boyfriend of yours and stick his rifle-"

"Hey!" interrupted Selphie, "Keep your mitts off what isn't yours! Irvy didn't mean to tell me, I had to try really hard to get it out of him last night."

"That makes no difference!" Zell protested. "Guy talk's meant to stay between the guys talking!" He dropped his head down on the table, his whole face turning red with embarrassment.

"So I guess this means Rinoa knows as well?" he asked, after a few minutes silence.

"I guess so," the petite brunette answered, and then continued, excitedly, "You know, girls are way better at this sort of stuff than boys. Me and Rin could talk to Quisty for ya, to see what she says… if you want us to, I mean" she finished quickly, seeing the look of absolute horror cross her friend's face.

"Sef, for Hyne's sake, and mine, PLEASE don't!" he begged. "I don't know what's going on just yet, and I don't want Quistis to find out before I know how I feel about her for certain."

"'Kay" she agreed. "You've got… until tonight to decide, then us girls'll get together for a good old gossip… we haven't heard any really good stuff for sooooo long!" She burst out laughing again at her Zell's panicked face.

"What?!" she managed, between giggles "I was only joking!" she reassured him as they got up from the table they'd occupied, heading toward the exit.

"Oh, c'mon Zell, you KNOW we wouldn't do that to you! We're not completely evil ya know! Oh! There's Rin now, she can help convince you" she said, waving at her friend.

Head down, the figure in the familiar blue ensemble didn't acknowledge her friends' waves and shouts as she ran through the doors that led to the dorms.

"O-kaay… That was a bit weird," stated Zell simply. Selphie on the other hand, remained silent, worried about the look on her friend's face as she'd passed them.

"She didn't look happy" Selphie said, concerned. "Maybe we should go check if she's alright."

"Nah, she'll be fine. Tell you what, if we see Squall in town, we can tell him, and he can sort out whatever's up with her. He is her boyfriend, after all" Zell wheedled. It wasn't that he didn't care, it was just that he never really felt comfortable talking about what he saw as 'girly stuff', plus, he had to go get some new studs for his fighting gloves, before his next scheduled training session that evening.

"Come on Sef" he said, again, pulling her towards the main entrance to Garden. "I'll buy you ice-cream in the diner in town"

"But Zell" she protested weakly "We just finished eating!" Shooting one last look over her shoulder in the direction her friend had disappeared, Selphie allowed herself to be led down the corridor.

 

 

Squall whistled a tune he'd heard on the radio that morning as he strolled through the entrance to Balamb Garden. He'd spent most of the day in the small town, buying new clothes and he'd found some items to customise the abilities for his weapon. He couldn't wait to get to his room, so he could work on his gunblade, before showing it off to Zell that evening.

He walked through the maze of corridors until he reached the double dorm he shared with Rinoa. Being one of 'The Six' as they were known informally certainly had its advantages, the special sleeping arrangements being one of the best, in his opinion anyhow.

He swiped his ID card into the electronic door lock, and pushed open the door to find Rinoa lying face down on the bed, as if asleep. Thinking nothing of it, he walked into the kitchen, after dumping his bags on the two-seater sofa in their communal area. It wasn't until he heard a stifled sob that he realised anything wasn't completely as it should be.

"Rin?" he called, walking towards the bedroom "everything al- What's wrong?!" he interrupted himself, as his lover turned to him, looking distraught, the tears falling from her red-rimmed eyes staining her cheeks.

She held her arms up to him, as he sat next to her on the bed, pulling her into his arms as she continued sobbing, almost hysterically, as he repeated his question.

Getting no response other than a fresh wave of sobs, he wrapped his arms tightly around her shaking body, cradling her head as she cried into his neck.


	4. Dreams Shatter

"Rin… please… tell me what's wrong" Squall coaxed, looking deep into her eyes, trying desperately to work out what had caused Rinoa to be this upset. He'd never seen her in this much of a state, not even when she'd been terrified of being taken into custody onboard the Ragnarok, or when Seifer had tried to sacrifice her to Adel.

Getting no response other than a fresh wave of sobs, he wrapped his arms tightly around her shaking body, cradling her head as she cried into his neck.

Stroking her long dark hair, and making what he presumed would be considered soothing noises, he scanned the room, looking for anything that could provide a clue, since Rinoa certainly didn't seem as if she was likely to tell him anything coherently at present.

Angelo, certainly seemed fine; she was sat with her head in Rinoa's lap, whining occasionally, obviously just as confused as Squall as to why her usually sunny-tempered mistress was upset, and especially as to why she kept pushing her head off her lap, instead of the rather more usual tickling behind the ears.

Squall fully sympathised with the dog's evident confusion, as she slunk away, and curled up in the corner. He'd grudgingly admit that he'd made 'real progress' in opening up to people since he'd met Rinoa, but certain situations made him wish he could revert back to being the closed-off, surly, uncommunicative teenager he'd been beforehand, and this was definitely one of those situations. Part of him wanted to hold Rinoa, comfort her, tell her everything was going to be alright, whilst a small voice in the back of his head was screaming at him to get the hell out of there, and to leave it to Quistis or Selphie to sort out. Luckily, he'd been managing to keep THAT part of himself buried completely recently, although it was more difficult in emotional situations, like now for example. He sighed, and kissed the top of Rinoa's head. She did seem to be calming down a little, although her breathing still caught in her throat as she inhaled.

"Go 'way Angelo" Rinoa managed, pushing the animal's head off her lap, and raising her head from Squall's shoulder. Her eyes met Squall's concerned gaze as she reached for a tissue from the bedside table.

Taking her back in his arms, and pulling her down to sit in his lap, he nuzzled into her neck, causing a watery smile to flit across her face momentarily.

"Rinoa... please, this isn't like you, and you're starting to worry me now. What's happened?" Tilting her head to look at him, he leaned his back against the headboard as he listened to her explain, in a shaky voice what had happened.

 

 

Quistis paused, momentarily, checking her appearance in the reflective surface of the elevator doors, as she stepped out into Cid's waiting room. She needn't have bothered; as the others were forever joking, the day a single blonde hair was out of place was the day Garden withered to nothing! And given the current size of the academy, "That ain't exactly likely now, is it?" Irvine had once drawled.

Xu smiled at her long-time friend as she looked up from her desk, which, as usual, was piled high with papers of various colours and sizes, but as always, was immaculately tidy and organised. It was easy to see how Xu had landed the job as Cid's personal secretary; although as Quistis herself had once reasoned, Xu could probably have organised her own birth.

"Good afternoon Instructor Trepe" she said, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "How are things down below?"

"Oh, you know - mad as ever, and knock it off!" she replied, laughing, then continued: "I thought I'd be able to escape those two words when I got out of the elevator!"

"Trepies as loyal as ever then?" Xu asked, smirking at her friend's obvious irritation

"And twice as annoying!" Quistis replied, laughing, before the intercom device on Xu's desk interrupted her.

"Instructor Trepe" Cid's voice, distorted by the intercom, cut short their laughter. "Could you come in please? And Xu; how about letting me know next time someone arrives for a meeting, hmm?"

"Certainly Sir" Xu replied into the microphone, before sticking her tongue out in the general direction of Cid's office. Quistis rolled her eyes at her friend's show of exaggerated immaturity, then opened the door to Cid's office, and stepped inside.

She saluted briefly, then asked; "You wanted to speak to me, Sir?" Cid smiled, nodded at her, before gesturing for her to sit in the chair opposite him. The re-instated Head of Balamb Academy had become a lot less stressed since the investigation of his actions during The Second sorceress war had ended. In particular, the newly formed Galbadian government had expressed doubts as to his ability to command a much larger facility, given the list of his less-than-responsible decisions, which included, indeed, were headed by his decision to give leadership of Balamb Garden to Squall, referred to in the official inquiry as 'a juvenile, socially inept, barely qualified SeeD officer, without the skills or knowledge necessary to assume the role of a commanding officer.'

However, Cid had weathered the storm, the fact that he had possessed the inner strength to effectively sign his own wife's death warrant had counted immeasurably in his favour. He now looked, and acted as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and took a much more involved role in Garden's activities, as well as a special interest in Squall, Quistis, Zell, Selphie, Irvine, Seifer, and, to a certain extent, Rinoa's lives at Garden.

This wasn't exactly surprising, since both he and Edea still considered the group to be their 'children' of sorts, with the exception of Rinoa, who, although Cid and Edea didn't raise her, was still considered part of the group, given her involvement in Ultimecia's defeat. Edea naturally shared a bond with the young sorceress, who she considered her protégée, notwithstanding her relationship with Squall, which was common knowledge around Balamb.

"Instructor Trepe" he began, his serious tone indicating this was by no means one of those light-hearted social visits that had become frequent occurrences of late. "Thank you for coming on such short notice. I have something of importance to discuss with you. It concerns one of your students, Rinoa Heartilly."

Quistis hesitated, a frown momentarily flashing across her face, as, stalling to give herself time to order her thoughts and opinions about Rinoa on an academic, instead of the usually personal level, she replied, the confusion and surprise she felt obvious in her voice.

"Sir?" she answered, deciding to cooperate with Cid's serious tone and countenance, continuing: "Is there a problem with Cadet Heartilly? Personally, I haven't been aware of any whilst I've been tutoring her for the next batch of SeeD exams."

Cid shook his head in response, although his face still had that serious expression Quistis had rarely seen, except during times of high stress. She still had no idea what was going on; and so far, Cid wasn't helping the situation.

"There are no problems with Cadet Heartilly herself, that you would be aware of, not on an academic level. She would have no problems passing the SeeD exams with flying colours. Between her prior experience, her upbringing, and your personal tutelage, she's easily the most gifted student we've had, since you and the others qualified. In some ways, she outstrips even you, Squall, Selphie, Irvine and Zell, although you all have very different qualities and strengths. I understand she'd like to become an instructor after she qualifies, but…" he trailed off, obviously uncomfortable, took off his glasses, and wiped the lenses with the edge of his shirt sleeves.

"Sir?" Quistis pressed, still unsure what exactly Cid was talking about, but alarm bells now starting to sound quietly in her mind. Cid took a deep breath, and then continued.

"As I've already said, we have no just cause to prevent Cadet Heartilly from taking part in the next batch SeeD exams, and are certain she would pass at a high standard. However, certain inherent qualities she possesses…" and here he paused, giving Quistis a meaningful look, as if it wasn't patently obvious exactly which of Rinoa's qualities he was talking about here. She listened carefully, steadily growing angrier as the confusion she was feeling cleared, as Cid continued to speak.

About half an hour later, finally reaching the limit of her temper, Quistis stood up suddenly, the chair she had been sat in scraping backwards on the floor. Her face, displaying an expression of anger mixed with disbelief, as she opened her mouth, cutting Cid off midsentence.

"You can't seriously be saying you think this is the best course of action?" she practically yelled in his face. "After all she's… that we've been through together, Rinoa deserves the same treatment as the rest of us get – it's bad enough she had to go through the SeeD entry system, when she's already demonstrated skills and techniques well beyond those of an average SeeD cadet, Hyne knows, let alone those of normal SeeD officers. And now you're telling me that I have to go tell her that she'll never be good enough, that she'll never be accepted as one of us, that her gifts, cause that's what they are – her strengths, she's more powerful than the SeeD ranking system acknowledges, make her some sort of threat? Just because those same powers tat caused so much evil were passed to her, doesn't mean she'll turn out the same way, but you're still going to hold that against her, all because of what that WIT…"

"Instructor Trepe! I will not allow this diatribe to continue!" yelled Cid, aware that he had to regain control of the conversation before Quistis landed herself in serious trouble.

He'd expected her reaction to be no different, after all, he knew from long experience that she had a temper, from childhood, although more recently, the only people to bring it out in her were Squall when he was in one of his 'moods' which were usually cured by a quick outburst, or, naturally Seifer, back when she'd been his instructor, and she'd pretty much dragged him into Cid's office by the scruff of his neck on more than one occasion.

Shocked into silence by Cid's reaction to her outburst, Quistis halted, fully aware that she could face disciplinary action for the things she'd just said, and especially for the way she'd said them, and to whom. Not that she cared, especially when Cid's expression softened.

"Quistis, I know you're upset, and I wasn't expecting you to react any differently. Hyne, I'm not happy about this decision, and I'm the one who had to make it."

"Then you should have told that…that… politician to go to hell!" Quistis spat, obviously still incandescent with barely controlled anger. "For Hyne's sake, he's her father, and he wants her locked away?" She turned to leave the office, and had opened the door when Cid's parting words made her hesitate.

"Quistis… Tell her I'm sorry… They threatened to seize Garden if I refused."  
  
  
  
  
  


Squall listened to Rinoa's words, as she explained the Council's decision.

"They… decided I was too much of a risk to be able to go on missions… If… she came back… and got to me again, they'd want to know exactly where I am, that I'm… not a threat, I guess" she finished.

Squall couldn't believe what he was hearing. The Garden Council had allowed Seifer, Fujin and Raijin to return, they'd granted Edea shelter, helped her re-establish the orphanage, but they weren't willing to grant Rinoa, someone who'd caused a lot less damage under Ultimecia's control, the same treatment? Hyne, they'd granted Seifer SeeD status immediately after Ultimecia's defeat, it was bad enough that they'd Rinoa go through the normal SeeD entry/training programme, but to stop her from fulfilling her dreams of teaching cadets magic, just because as a Sorceress she was deemed to be a 'threat'. It was those gifts that made her such a great SeeD candidate, ironic that the same talent for magic she inherited from Edea was the reason she wasn't to be allowed this chance.

He released his hold on Rinoa, as a loud buzzing noise filled the room.

"I'll tell them to go away," he said, heading towards the door. "Put on my best surly git expression and everything!"

This earned him a giggle from Rinoa as he opened the door. She heard him say to whomever it was that they were 'busy', and then let as a yell of displeasure, followed by a loud crash as Quistis came running into the room.

"Oh Rin…I'm so, so sorry!" she exclaimed as her eyes fell on her friend. "Cid's just told me…I had no idea…you have to bel-"

"It's okay Quisty" Rinoa interrupted, tears that threatened to resume falling shining in her eyes, as she smiled up at her friend. "I can tell you didn't have any idea. Plus, Cid told me as much. Although… will I… have t-t-to l-leave G-g-g" she stuttered, tears once again trailing down her cheeks, as Quistis pulled her into a bear hug.

"No, he said you can stay as long as you want; that you'd always be welcome here. Anyway, your contract with Garden's still valid. Timber's still under Galbadian control, even if it's no longer hostile, so technically, you're still under Garden's safekeeping."

"Just what I wanted. Once again, I'm left feeling like the poor helpless little princess who needs SeeD's help with every little thing. It's like being back in Deling that night again, feeling left out of your plans, wanting to be accepted as who I am, instead of being someone who needs protecting and supervising all day, every day."

Seeing a chance to lighten the mood a little, Squall remarked, "Well, just try not to make me nearly get killed this time, okay?" Although, far from what he intended, this only made Rinoa's eyes overflow again, as sobs overtook her, and she collapsed back down onto the bed.

Pulling her into his arms once again, trying to make up for his mistake, Squall heard Quistis murmur, "Well, he's a lot more open nowadays, but Hyne, he needs help with his sense of humour!"

And he couldn't help but agree.


	5. Pillowfights and Partings

"…She's been really down lately, so Quisty, Elle and I decided we should all go shopping in Esthar together. Ellone said we could all stay at the palace with her and Laguna, so we could make a whole weekend of it. There's Hyne knows HOW many bedrooms in that place, so I'm sure it wouldn't be a prob…"

Irvine groaned exaggeratedly, and covered his head with one of the bright yellow pillows strewn haphazardly across the bed, as the girl lying next to him continued to chatter seemingly endlessly. It wasn't like he didn't love everything about her; for Hyne's sake, this was the longest he'd been with ANY girl since, well, ever; but, as he'd thought to himself Hyne knows how many times since he'd met her, it would be nice to have a bit of (what the people lucky enough to have it called) "Quiet Time".

WHAM! Irvine shot up, gasping, as a pillow landed square on his stomach, winding him slightly. He looked indignantly at the now-laughing Selphie, as she mock-scolded him for not listening to what she'd been saying, before expressing his disgust at her rather violent method of attracting his attention.

"Sef…" he drawled in his Galbadian accent; "Did you really hav'ta do that? Sheesh, a nudge woulda done it."

Selphie smiled innocently, her emerald eyes twinkling mischievously as she raised the pillow once again, before bringing it down on her boyfriend's head. She laughed as he yelled out in mock anger, scrabbling trying to get hold of another pillow to get revenge on the girl now holding the pillow over his head.

She was laughing so hard she didn't notice that Irvine had succeeded in grabbing a pillow until it was too late, as he swung it blindly at her face. She fell backwards, but recovered quickly, jumping up and standing on the bedspread, continuing to pummel Irvine who now had two pillows, using one to defend himself, and swinging the other repeatedly at Selphie.

She let out a yell as he hit her with both pillows at once, lost her balance, and fell backwards onto the bed, shrieking with laughter, not bothering to defend herself, and not sure that she could, even if she tried. She half-heartedly raised a hand as Irvine made to hit her again with the pillow, and as the blow connected, the pillow split, sending feathers flying all over the room and it's occupants.

"Now look what you made me do!" Irvine said, still laughing, brushing the white feathers off his black shirt. He hadn't yet noticed the feathers that had landed in his long hair, until Selphie, pointing at his head, started giggling yet again.

"Oh, so you think this is funny, do ya?" Irvine said in mock-anger, sitting down on the edge of the bed nearest Selphie. Ignoring the feathers that now covered the bed almost entirely, he leaned over and brushed a couple of feathers off Selphie's hair tenderly, smiling as she reached up to do the same for him.

"Admit defeat, do ya?" he said, still smiling down at her. He chuckled as she stuck her tongue out at him cheekily, and brushed a feather from her forehead, sweeping her hair out of her eyes at the same time. She reached up and cupped his face in her hand as he leaned down to kiss her gently. As he pulled away slightly, she smiled, twisting his hair in her fingers. She opened her mouth to reply, then paused for a moment before answering, "I thought you'd know by now, I never give in!"

"Well, we'll just have to see about that now, won't we?" he replied smiling, before leaning down to kiss her again.

 

 

"Of course I don't mind you going on this mission" Rinoa said, turning the Griever pendant over and over, making it catch the light. "It's just that - OH! Hyne, Squall, I'm sorry!" she interrupted herself, as Squall began to choke. She hadn't realised it at the time, but she'd wound the chain that held Griever's symbol around his neck so tight, it had started to cut off his air supply. He quickly unwound it, giving her a funny look. It wasn't like Rinoa to be this distracted, or as introverted as she'd become in the past few days. No-one had said anything about it yet, but he knew he wasn't the only one being careful to not upset her, saying little about SeeD or it's activities that she'd now never again officially be part of. Both Quistis and Squall had gone to see Cid the day after they had found out Rinoa would not be permitted to become a full member of SeeD, and had all but begged him to reconsider (a lot more politely in Quistis' case, and Zell had been forbidden to come with them when they went, as they knew he probably wouldn't be able to keep his temper!), but even so, Cid had re-explained that it hadn't been his decision alone, and the Garden Committee's decision on this matter was final, no matter who contested it.

Rinoa sighed, looking up at Squall, as she pulled half-heartedly at a thread that was sticking out of his T-shirt, her head resting on his shoulder. Squall wound his arm under her body, around her waist, and stroked her hair with is other hand, waiting for her to continue. About five minutes later, during which time neither had spoken, laying side by side on their bed, Rinoa opened her mouth, sighed, then finally said "I… I just wish I could go with you."

Squall stiffened, a bit uncomfortable as to where he thought this conversation was leading, then made a conscious effort to relax, and continued to stroke her hair gently.

After another few minutes silence, Squall felt, rather than heard Rinoa say 'I might go and see Edea for a few days. You're going to Centra tomorrow anyhow, so I may as well hitch a lift with you guys when Sef flies you out there.' He jumped a little, when Rinoa used their 'personal line' as she called it, he always felt a little uncomfortable. It was as if she could read his mind sometimes, although he knew the only person he had to be careful around because of that particular trick was Ellone. Anyhow… it made him uncomfortable, probably because of all the years he'd spent trying to remain as cut-off as possible, even from those who loved him, like he'd suspected Quistis had. She was the only other person able to read his emotions, his moods and almost his mind, to the extent of predicting nearly all his responses to certain situations. That had wound him up more than anything, even more so than the fact that she probably knew that all along.

"Sorry", she said, noticing him flinch slightly at her 'words'. I didn't realise I was doing it.

"It's okay" he replied automatically, lost in thought, but then realising he was talking, his brain caught up with his mouth as he continued "…I need to get used to you being able to do that, but it's just so… strange. But a nice kind of strange. Saves on the phone bills I guess!" he finished, chuckling under his breath.

Rinoa smiled, and then explained her decision to get away from Balamb, if only for a few days. "I just want a break, and besides, Edea will need some help redecorating the playroom in the orphanage, and I think she needs the company. I think she gets lonely, out there by herself. Cid doesn't get to visit as much as he should."

"You've already made up your mind to go, haven't you?" Squall asked, smiling. Not that it was a problem, it'd probably do Rinoa good to get out and away from Garden for a few days, and Edea always welcomed visitors to the orphanage by the sea. 'All the more so, if they were the type of visitors who could wield paintbrushes and hang curtains.' He thought to himself, smiling at the recent memory of Zell stood, covered in masonry paint, and a sheepish Irvine stood atop a ladder, holding a paintbrush outside the orphanage a few weeks ago. Luckily Edea and Squall were there to prevent the murder that most likely would have occurred had the two been alone. Zell, needless to say, had not been impressed, and Irvine had only recently given up wondering what his revenge would be, figuring, perhaps foolishly, that Zell after this time would find the incident even slightly amusing. That was probably only because the pile of T-Rexaur dropping concealed in a bag in the bottom of his locker in the Training Centre hadn't begun to smell too badly yet.

Rinoa nodded, before replying, "I just… if you're not here, and Irvine and Quisty are going with you, there's not much reason to be here on my own, plus, Selphie could stay with me at the Orphanage for a few days, then we can come pick you up when you're done."

"Sounds like a good plan to me" Squall said, smiling down at her. "Just make sure Edea's got decaffeinated coffee this time, okay?"

Rinoa giggled, then replied, "I'll take some with me… Edea knows better now after last time! What're your plans, anyhow? Going to stop the Tonberries from taking over the world?" she finished jokingly.

"Nah, we dealt with that problem last week" he joked, before continuing "Some Estharian scientists who arrived here today want to do some sort of GF-related research there, since two GFs can be found naturally there'. And if I can get some more knives to melt down and customise my Gunblade, I'll be happy!"

She smiled at her boyfriend's one-track mind where his weapon was concerned, then enquired, "I'm curious…when exactly are you going to leave it be, and just use the 'Blade instead of taking it apart all the time?"

"Ummm… probably when it's as long as I am tall!" he answered laughing. "Now," he continued, sitting up and stretching "Fancy getting some dinner in town?"

"Sure," she replied, following suit, getting up and running a brush through her long dark hair. She turned away from the mirror to find Squall with coat in hand, proffering her blue duster. "Ready?" he asked, and opened the door to the hallway as she nodded.

 

 

The next morning had dawned bright and sunny, and the occupants of the control room in the Ragnarok were relaxing, chatting about all sorts of things, from the upcoming Garden Festival, to their current mission, to Edea and the preparations that were well underway to re-open the orphanage. Rinoa had been unusually quiet during the flight, but it passed unnoticed by the others, as Selphie, Irvine and Quistis dominated most of the conversation.

"Hope you two've got enough curative magic on you' Quistis warned, as they neared Centra's mountain range.

"Yes Mum," replied Squall and Irvine replied, the latter adding "Bossy Quisty always telling us what to do!"

Quistis stuck her tongue out at the pair, and then muttered something about "only making sure" under her breath so that only Rinoa, sat next to her, could hear.

Selphie got up and walked to the control panel to take control of the ship as the Autopilot beeped to say they were approaching their designated landing point. Not too long after that, they were unloading the scientific equipment, and saying goodbye to those staying at the temporary camp.

The two couples embraced, saying their goodbyes and telling each other to take care, and to remember to call each other when they weren't too busy "slaughtering those little green pests" as Selphie put it. Soon after saying goodbye to Quistis, the two girls were climbing back aboard the now empty ship, and getting ready to take off, heading for the tip of the continent, on which the orphanage stood, Rinoa stood waving madly in the window of the cockpit. She sighed, before speaking to her companion, who was busy testing the controls before switching the engine on.

"Sef" she said, as the jets ignited, the ship now vibrating slightly. "How much fuel do we have on board?"

"Ummm… nearly ¾ full tanks. More than enough to fly to the orphanage and get back home… Want to try some tricks?" Selphie asked, the green eyes twinkling mischievously. She loved piloting the ship, far more so than the others loved riding it when she was piloting, although she was the best pilot in Garden, it was hard to be confident of her abilities when you were hanging in your seat straps, seeing the ground flashing past the windows instead of clouds.

"I don't want to go to the orphanage really," Rinoa said, then continued quickly "I need to go to Esthar… do we have enough fuel to get there?"

Momentarily confused by her friends seemingly random questioning, Selphie did some quick calculations, and then replied, "We've got enough… but why do you want to go to Esthar?"

"I'll explain on the way." Rinoa answered, as the ship lifted off, heading west over the ocean.


End file.
